Crêpes are a Friday night tradition in our house. My dad, who used to own a crêperie, is always in charge and he makes the best savoury crêpes you could dream of.

When dessert-time comes, I’ll jump in to make my very own favourite. The batter is delicate and light it has the intense flavour of vanilla and subtle hints of nuttiness from the beurre noisette.

These crêpes are a delight on their own, but you could serve them with a topping of your choice. To keep them warm while you cook, layer them on a plate set over a pan of simmering water and cover loosely with foil.

For the beurre noisette

Ingredients

Quantity

Ingredient

100g

butter, cubed

For the crêpes

Quantity

Ingredient

500g

whole milk

2

eggs

2

egg yolks

2

vanilla pods, seeds

200g

plain flour

70g

icing sugar

vegetable oil, for cooking

Method

Start by making the beurre noisette. Melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Once melted, keep cooking until the butter becomes a deep-golden colour and starts to smell nutty (this takes around 1– 2 minutes). Leave to cool for a few minutes, then pour into a small bowl, making sure to keep most of the browned milk solids in the bottom of the pan. Keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Mix the milk, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla seeds together in a jug. In a large bowl, mix the flour and icing sugar. Slowly pour the liquids over the dry ingredients, whisking constantly, then mix in 70 g of the melted beurre noisette. Pass the batter through a fine-mesh sieve to make sure there are no lumps.

Leave the batter to sit at room temperature, covered with a clean kitchen cloth, for at least 30 minutes or, even better, for 2 hours or overnight (in which case, keep it in the fridge).

When you are ready to cook the crêpes, heat a lightly oiled nonstick frying pan over high heat. Pour the batter onto the pan, using approximately one-third of a cup for each crêpe. Tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

Cook the crêpe for about 2 minutes, until the edges start to brown and curl slightly. Loosen with a palette knife, flip over and cook the other side for a minute. Serve hot.